Suggested Books - Children & Teens

Gunproof Your Children, Massad Ayoob

From an Amazon reviewer: This is a short well written book designed to gunproof your children. It examines the fallacy of locking up your guns as a viable option. While locks help it won't protect your kids when they may face a weapon away from the home. Today's kids need this info even if you don't personally own firearms.

Be warned: In many ways this is a terrifying book. It deals with a subject--violence against children--that most of us never want to consider. But, as Gavin de Becker stresses, such situations, though rare, can occur, so all parents must deal with the facts in order to protect their children properly. De Becker's aim is to create awareness of potential dangers and provide parents with the knowledge necessary for prevention and control. As he emphatically states in Protecting the Gift, much of this knowledge is already hard-wired in the form of intuition: "This natural ability is deep, brilliant, powerful. Nature's greatest accomplishment, the human brain, is stunningly efficient when its host is at risk, but when one's child is at risk, it moves to a whole new level, one we can justifiably call miraculous." The trick, he stresses, is trusting and acting on intuition.In this valuable, even necessary, book, he shatters many myths about the typical profiles of regular offenders and the prevalence of such problems as sexual abuse and kidnapping. He also deconstructs the wisdom of traditional maxims such as "Never talk to strangers" and "If you are ever lost, go to a policeman." Without offering a compendium of every conceivable danger, he identifies warning signals and real risks that are often easy to spot once you know what to look for. He offers practical advice on recognizing signs of sexual abuse, choosing a baby sitter or nanny, how to prepare kids for walking to school alone, and how to teach children about potential risks without making them afraid to venture out of the house. And he continually stresses that denial and ignoring intuition are the biggest mistakes that parents make in protecting their kids from those that mean them harm. Well written and infinitely informative, Protecting the Gift affords parents more confidence and less reason for unnecessary worry. --Shawn Carkonen

I'm Not Who You Think I Am, Peg Kehret

From Kirkus Reviews: In an age of missing children, Kehret spins an exciting tale about a deranged mother and the child, not hers, she stalks. Ginger has long had the feeling that somebody is watching her; during her 13th birthday party in a restaurant, she sees a strange woman staring at her, who also appears to write down the license plate number when Ginger's family drives away. Questions nag at Ginger but she brushes them off, facing other, more ordinary problems. A meddlesome parent, Mrs. Vaughn, is trying to get Mr. Wren, Ginger's basketball coach, fired; wanting more playing time for her own daughter, Mrs. Vaughn has concocted a list of complaints, claiming that Mr. Wren doesn't teach basic skills. Ginger, an aspiring sports announcer, has videotaped many of the practices and has the evidence to prove Mrs. Vaughn wrong, but is afraid as is most of the communityof getting on the woman's wrong side. The stalking of Ginger, her near-kidnapping, and her attempt to live honorably by coming forward to save Mr. Wren converge in a dramatic climax. While the story reads like a thriller, the character development and moral dilemmas add depth and substance.

Stalking in Children and Adolescents, Joseph T. McCann

The author is a psychologist and attorney in Binghamton, NY. This book provides a tour of stalking, the dark side of child and adolescent attachments. Draws on research, theory, and clinical insight to illuminate the dark inner life of the stalker and sets out strategies for psychological and legal prevention, intervention, and protection.

The book also explores related forms of obsessional harassment such as bullying, sexual harassment, and dating violence. It provides a psychodynamic conceptualization of stalking with a particular emphasis on developmental issues related to attachment, identity formulatin, and emotional states involving jealousy, envy, and anger.Practical recommendations for managing stalking cases, implementing policy, and maintaining personal safety make this an invaluable resource for mental health professionals, parents, and school officials.

Are You in the House Alone?, Richard Peck

Fiction for teens."Forget it," Alison counseled. "It never happened." But it was happening. The obscene notes. "Stop reading that garbage!" Alison shrieked and grabbed the neatly lettered page from Gail's frozen hands. And whenever Gail was alone, the phone rang and went dead as soon as she answered it. As her world shaded into a nightmare, Gail, surrounded by friends, family, and teachers, found herself utterly alone.

Then one evening her nightmare became fact when she learned an even more tragic truth; in spite of violence and degradation, she was still alone, the victim of a crime that punished the innocent and let the criminal go free.

Pursued, Patricia H. Rushford

Fiction for teens.Allison Beaumont is beautiful, popular, wealthy, and she's just been crowned the Rose Festival Princess. But when dead roses start ariving on her doorstep and threatening phone calls follow, Allison realizes she's paying a high price for her throne.

Jennie McGrady has only one goal in life: to find her father. But Allison's plea for help tears Jennie away from her search and involves both of them in a dangerous race to hunt down the Portland Stalker.

Everything You Need to Know about Dealing with Stalking, Cynthia Wright

This book begins with a high school stalking scenario. After providing a clear definition of the term, Wright offers solid advice on ways to counteract stalking. The tone throughout is personal, making teens feel that the author is speaking directly to them. The book concludes by repeating the opening scenario and listing the steps the victim used to make herself less vulnerable. Carrying the characters from the opening scene into the narrative keeps readers engaged. A list of organizations to contact for help or information is appended. Teens should find it interesting and relevant.

Stalking: A Hot Issue, David Goodnough

In this book for teens, David Goonough explores this invasive crime, including the motives and capabilities of these perpetrators. Through actual stories of people who have been stalked, Goodnough exposes its grim reality and stresses the need for stronger legal action to be taken in punishing these criminals. Along with mentioning famous celebrity stalking cases, a number of teen stalking cases are also discussed.